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A review by willrefuge
Forgotten Worlds by D. Nolan Clark
4.0
7 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/forgotten-worlds-by-d-nolan-clark-review/
Please beware spoilers for Forsaken Skies—the Silence, Book #1
The second volume of Clark’s Silence trilogy takes on a slightly darker cast than its predecessor as headliner Aleister Lanoe become set on vengeance to deal with the loss of his former lover, Zhang. A lover he still sees in his dreams, hears in his head, and can even feel from time to time, nearby, but just out of touch.
More worrying than the state of Lanoe, however, is the state of the universe as a whole. The alien known only as the Blue-Blue-White produced replicating fleets they sent in every direction—and, due to an error in their AI coding—which have been exterminating every sentient species they’ve met along the way.
Which is more worrying: that the reason humanity hasn’t met any other sentients is that they’ve all been systematically exterminated because of an error in code; or that there could be countless billions worth of the same fleet that they’ve just fought off, waiting just off the edges of space, to finish the job?
It’s a take on the universe I hadn’t heard before. A reason why humanity appears to be the only sentient in the galaxy; because the rest of them have been eradicated. The Milky Way exists on a spur, after all, far from the center of the universe. It’s feasible to think that that’s why humanity has lived so long. It’s an interesting realization, and makes for a decent plot to build a trilogy around. First, though, there’s the bit with the corps: an all-powerful, private entity trying to control and monetize the universe around them, blah blah blah.
I mean, it’s not terribly creative, and fails to grab center stage even where the overarching plot succeeds. Thus we have an impasse. This book’s main thrill-ride is based on escaping the corporate threat. The overarching plot is detailed at the same time, but plays second fiddle to the opposing plot. Both are built well-enough that they play out concurrently. I wasn’t thrilled with the corporate story, but I enjoyed the rest of it: Lanoe’s revenge, a secret message from out in the stars, the search for the Blue-Blue-White. What results is an interesting, entertaining followup, yet one which is held back from greatness by its own ambition, and the author’s (or publisher’s?) doubt that it could carry the plot alone.
Some good, some bad. Overall, an entertaining sequel I’d recommend, especially for some surprise twists, immersive characters, and memorable moments. Some I haven’t even forgotten in the years since first reading it.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/forgotten-worlds-by-d-nolan-clark-review/
Please beware spoilers for Forsaken Skies—the Silence, Book #1
The second volume of Clark’s Silence trilogy takes on a slightly darker cast than its predecessor as headliner Aleister Lanoe become set on vengeance to deal with the loss of his former lover, Zhang. A lover he still sees in his dreams, hears in his head, and can even feel from time to time, nearby, but just out of touch.
More worrying than the state of Lanoe, however, is the state of the universe as a whole. The alien known only as the Blue-Blue-White produced replicating fleets they sent in every direction—and, due to an error in their AI coding—which have been exterminating every sentient species they’ve met along the way.
Which is more worrying: that the reason humanity hasn’t met any other sentients is that they’ve all been systematically exterminated because of an error in code; or that there could be countless billions worth of the same fleet that they’ve just fought off, waiting just off the edges of space, to finish the job?
It’s a take on the universe I hadn’t heard before. A reason why humanity appears to be the only sentient in the galaxy; because the rest of them have been eradicated. The Milky Way exists on a spur, after all, far from the center of the universe. It’s feasible to think that that’s why humanity has lived so long. It’s an interesting realization, and makes for a decent plot to build a trilogy around. First, though, there’s the bit with the corps: an all-powerful, private entity trying to control and monetize the universe around them, blah blah blah.
I mean, it’s not terribly creative, and fails to grab center stage even where the overarching plot succeeds. Thus we have an impasse. This book’s main thrill-ride is based on escaping the corporate threat. The overarching plot is detailed at the same time, but plays second fiddle to the opposing plot. Both are built well-enough that they play out concurrently. I wasn’t thrilled with the corporate story, but I enjoyed the rest of it: Lanoe’s revenge, a secret message from out in the stars, the search for the Blue-Blue-White. What results is an interesting, entertaining followup, yet one which is held back from greatness by its own ambition, and the author’s (or publisher’s?) doubt that it could carry the plot alone.
Some good, some bad. Overall, an entertaining sequel I’d recommend, especially for some surprise twists, immersive characters, and memorable moments. Some I haven’t even forgotten in the years since first reading it.